Road marking

ABSTRACT

A MARKER SHEET FOR MAKING ROAD SURFACE MARKINGS CONSISTS OF A MAT OF MINERAL FIBERS SUCH AS GLASS FIBERS, SLAG WOOL OR ASBESTOS, IMPREGNATED ON ITS UPPER SIDE WITH A PIGMENTAL THERMOPLASTIC RESIN AND ON ITS UNDERSIDE WITH AN ADHESIVE BITUMINOUS CEMENT CAPABLE OF STICKING TO THE ROAD SURFACE, AND THE EDGES OF THE MAT ARE LEFT FREE OF THE IMPREGNATING COMPOSITIONS AT LEAST AT TWO OPPOSITE SIDES. THESE FREE EDGES FORM TONGUES WHICH ARE GLUED TO THE ROAD SURFACE WHEN THE SHEETS ARE LAID THEREON, AND INTO WHICH THE ADHESIVE BITUMINOUS CEMENT OVERFLOWS UNDER PRESSURE. THE ADHESIVE CEMENT MAY BE DIVIDED INTO A CENTRAL ZONE AN MARGINAL (&#34;SEALING&#34;) ZONES.

Jan, 29, 1974 s, s, WAYSMAN 3,788,819

v ROAD MARKING Filed July 19, 1971 Fig.1

United States Patent O1 Elice 3,788,879 Patented Jan. 29, 1974 3,788,879 ROAD MARKING Simon S. Waysman, Gauei Yehuda, Israel, assguor to Koor Chemicals Ltd., Beer-Sheva, Israel Filed July 19, 1971, Ser. No. 163,986 Claims priority, appliscgttr; Israel, Aug. 6, 1970,

U.S. Cl. 117-685 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A marker sheet for making road surface markings consists of a mat of mineral fibers such as glass fibers, slag wool or asbestos, impregnated on its upper side with a pigmental thermoplastic resin and on its underside with an adhesive bituminous cement capable of sticking to the road surface, and the edges of the mat are left free of the impregnating compositions at least at two opposite sides. 'These free edges form tongues which are glued to the road surface when the sheets are laid thereon, and into which the adhesive bituminous cement overflows under pressure. The adhesive cement may be divided into a central zone and marginal (sealing) zones.

The invention concerns road surface markings serving, for example, for indicating pedestrian crossings, traffic directions, etc.

As a rule such markings are applied to road surfaces by either of two methods.

By one method a pigmented composition is painted directly on the road surface. The markings thus produced are rapidly rubbed Off by vehicles and pedestrians and have to be replaced very often. This is all the more undesirable in view of the fact that road marking by painting is a time consuming operation and requires prolonged diversion of the trafHc.

By another known method, the markings are made from prepared marker sheets which comprise a glass fiber mat coated or impregnated on its upper side with a pigmented thermoplastic resin and on its underside with a bituminous cement. When these marker sheets are applied to the road surface they tend to warp or curl at the edges, whereby they become detached from the road surface.

The present invention relates to the second road marking method aforesaid and has the object to provide marker sheets which do not tend to become Warped and detached.

The marker sheet according to the invention comprises a mat impregnated on its top side with a pigmented resinous composition, and on its bottom side with an adhesive composition, wherein the mat extends at least at two opposite edges beyond the top and bottom impregnations and the not impregnated ends of the mat form tongues designed to be glued to the surface of the road.

The positioning of the marker sheet according to the invention on the road surface, e.g. at the pedestrian crossing, proceeds quickly and does not require prolonged interruption of the traflic. The sheets are placed on the road surface in the desired pattern and the tongues are gued flat to the road, practically flush therewith, and do not form step-like obstacles for the oncoming vehicles. This arrangement prevents the curling or warping of the sheets.

The adhesion of the bottom impregnation of the sheet to the road is brought about by the passing traic itself, since the vehicles can be allowed to roll over the sheets at once after these have been placed and the tongues be glued onto the road surface. In addition to making the adhesive composition stick to the road surface the pressure exerted by the vehicles also squeezes some amount of this composition into the tongues, whereby the bond between the latter and the road surface is strengthened and the sheet is flattened out.

If necessary, the marker sheets may be heated, e.g. by steaming, before being laid on the road surface. This is especially advisable in cold climates. Since the heating is a quick operation it does not substantially prolong the laying of the sheets.

The mat may be of any material having the necessary physical characteristics for impregnation with said resinous and adhesive compositions and withstanding the stresses caused by the traffic rolling over it. The mat may thus be of synthetic or natural material and be organic or mineral.

Particularly suitable are fiber mats made of any adequate synthetic or natural liber such as polyamide fibers, rayon, sisal fibers, cotton bers, glass fibers, asbestos fibers, slag wool. These are merely examples and mats of many other bers may be used. The packing of the ber in the mat is preferably such that the unimpregnated mat has a density of 220-350 g./m.2.

The thickness of the sheets may vary according to the purpose of use and the composition of the sheets. A suitable thickness is, for example, about 1 to 3 mm.

By a preferred feature of the invention, the adhesive composition is divided into central and outer sealing zones of which the latter, owing to its different thickness and/ or composition, Hows more readily than the former under pressure. This makes for better flow of the adhesive composition towards and into the tongues whereby the adhesion of the latter to the road surface is improved.

The outer sealing zone or zones may be circumferential and around the central zone or in the form of two marginal strips parallel to the tongues and flanking the central zone. In either case the sealing zone or zones may be much narrower than the remainder of the sheet. Basically, the sealing zone may be produced, for example, as follows:

(a) By making the sealing zone thicker than the central zone. When the marker sheet is laid on the road surface and subjected to pressure by the traic, it is the sealing zone that absorbs most of the pressure initially. It is thereby flattened by being caused to Aflow on the one hand into the tongues, and on the other hand towards the central zone until it becomes ilush therewith. From then on, the central zone comes into close contact with the road surface and is made to stick thereto.

(b) By making the sealing zone from a composition which is different from that of the central zone and softer and more readily flowing than the latter. For example, the sealing zone may consist of a composition comprising a bituminous material whose ring-and-ball test according to ASTM D36-26 is preferably within the range of 60- C., while the central zone may be of composition comprising a bituminous material whose ring-and-ball test according to ASTM D3 6-26 is preferably within the range from 100440 C. Where either the sealing or the central zone compositions comprise a resinous material, the `melting point of the resinous material used for the sealing zone will be, for example, from 40-60 C., while that of the resin used for the central zone will preferably be within from 60100 C.

The lifetime of road markings produced with marker sheets according to the invention has been found to be approximately live times longer than that of markings produced with conventional marker sheets.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section through a marker sheet according to the invention laid on the road but not yet stuck thereto, i.e. at the beginning of the marking operation;

FIG. 2 shows similarly the same sheet at the end of the marking operation;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a sheet according to the invention in which the adhesive composition is divided into a sealing and central zone.

The marker sheet according to the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a glass fiber mat 1 impregnated on its top side with a pigmented, weather and abrasion resistant resinous composition 2 and at its bottom side with a bituminous adhesive composition 3. The two compositions meet within the mat and form covering layers on its surfaces. The layers 2 and 3 are substantially coextensive and do not extend to the longitudinal edges at each of which a marginal strip of the mat remains free to form a tongue 4. When the sheet is laid on the road surface the tongues 4 are bent down on to the road surface as shown in FIG. 2, and glued thereto by means of an adhesive. The latter may either have been applied to the tongues in the course of the manufacture of the strips, or else at the time when the sheet is laid on the road.

As soon as the sheets have thus been laid on the road, traffic is again admitted. As the vehicles roll over the sheets, the pressure thereby generated makes the adhesive composition 3 ow towards and the into the tongues 4 and also presses the latter on the road surface. Thus the tongues 4 become rmly bonded to the road surface. At the same time the pigmented upper layer 2 -flows towards tongues 4 so that the step-shaped transition between the tongues and the impregnated main part of the sheet is attened into a Wedge-like edge.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3 the central zone 6 of the adhesive composition is flanked by two sealing zones 7 which are parallel to tongues 8 and are thicker than the central zone 6, so that they form downwards projecting ribs. The material of the sealing zones 7 is equally a bituminous or resinous adhesive, but it is softer and has better flow properties than the material of the central zone 6 so that the flow of material towards tongues 8 is facilitated.

The invention is further illustrated by the following examples without being limited thereto, all percentages being by weight. In the examples the abbreviation R & B stands for ring-and-ball tests according to ASTM D36-26.

EXAMPLE 1 PIGMENTED TOP COMPOSITION Percent Alkyd resin Alkydol S 65 (trade name, Bayer AG) 35 Chlorinated rubber 10 Rutile y 20 Aliphatic and aromatic solvents and diluents 30 Siccatives (cobalt, lead and manganese naphthenates) 2 Adjuvants 2 Bleaching agent 1 Polyurethane resin Desmodur L (trade name, Bayer AG) 30 Desmophen resin (trade name, Bayer AG) Rutile 30 Adjuvants 2 Ethyl acetate 10 Xylene 10 Cellosolve 3 Nitrocellulose 30 Alcohol soluble maleic resin 10 Tricresyl phosphate 5 Butyl diphthalate 5 Rutile 4 (c)-Continued Percent Butyl acetate 10 Ethyl acetate 10 Xylene 5 Butyl alcohol 5 Polyester resin Roskydal 500 (trade name, Bayer AG) 50 Rutile 20 Styrene 25 Cobalt naphthenate solution in Xylene 2.2% 1 1% silicone in Xylene 1 Ethyl acetate 2 Methyl-ethyl ketone peroxide 1 Parts by weight PVC Plasticizer 5()I Stabilizer 3 Lead chromate 15 Quartz filler 30 EXAMPLE 2 ADHESIVE BOTTOM COMPOSITION'S Percent Ground rubber 25 Phenolic resin 10 Plasticizer 5 Filler 15 Benzene 30 Toluene 15 Latex 50 Synthetic resin 10 Emulsier 2 Water 20 Organic solvents l0 Filler 8 (c) Epoxy resin 30 Amine (for curing) 5 Carbon black `(ller) 5 Ethyl acetate 20 Xylene 20 Cellosolve 5 Diacetone alcohol 15 EXAMPLE 3 This example concerns the embodiment of the invention where the adhesive layer is divided into a sealing zone and a central zone.

The following adhesive compositions are suitable for the formation of the sealing zone.

Percent Bitumen (R & B G11-100 C.) 90 Latex 5 Rosin oil 5 The following adhesive compositions are suitable for the formation of the central adhesive zone:

EXAMPLE 4 Production of a marker sheet In the production of the sheet, a pigmented composition, e.g. any of those described in Example 1, is applied to one face of a mineral fiber mat, e.g. by spraying or spreading, which operation is continued or repeated until the desired thickness has been achieved.

An adhesive composition is then applied by spraying or spreading to the other face of the mat. Where the impregnated adhesive composition is divided into sealing and central zones of dilerent compositions, the spraying or spreading may be carried out in two successive steps with the aid of stencils. Where the sealing zones are protuberant and have the same composition as the central zone, the adhesive composition is irst applied with a uni form thickness throughout, then the sealing zones are formed by the addition of more of the same adhesive composition, preferably with the aid of stencils.

After the impregnation, the sheet is dried and is then ready for use.

I claim:

1. A mar-ker sheet for making road markings comprising a ber mat impregnated on its top side with a pigmented resinous composition and on its bottom side with an adhesive composition, said mat having two opposite edges beyond the resinous composition and adhesive composition, said edges being free of said compositions to thereby form tongues designed to be glued to the surface of the road, said resinous and adhesive compositions being designed to dow under pressure of the rolling traic toward said tongues, wherein said adhesive composition is divided into a central zone and outer sealing zones, said outer sealing zones being located at the outer edges of said adhesive composition and extending parallel to said tongues and wherein said outer zones are more protuberant in'a direction away from said mat than said central zone of adhesive.

2. A marker sheet for making road markings comprising a 4liber mat impregnated on its top side with a pigmented resinous composition and on its bottom side with an adhesive composition, said mat having two opposite edges beyond the resinous composition and adhesive composition, said edges being free of said compositions to References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,355,311 11/1967 Gosselink 117-29 X 2,567,233 9/ 1951 Palmquist et al. 117-27 X 2,993,823 7/19261 Wilson 161-167 X 3,405,025 10/ 1968 Goldman 161--167 X 2,383,884 8/1945 Palmquist 117-68.5 X 3,176,584 4/1965 DeVries et al. 117-27 UX ,2,366,754 1/ 1945 Rodli 117-29 UX 2,879,171 3/1959 Kullenberg 117-27 X 3,262,375 7/1966 Eigenmann 404-72 WILLIAM D. MARTIN, Primary Examiner B. D. PIANAL'I'O, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

1l7--38, 37 R, 122 P, 122 PB; 404-17 

